Post 474: Angels in the Snow

Stardate: 71005.2345
Title: Angels in the Snow
Author: Lt. Grace
Scene: Alchemy/The Surface of Yensul V
Time: Following "The Kindness of Strangers"
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"You look like you're about to try to climb the Tenaran Ice Cliffs." Dabin Reece pulled the hood of February's newly donned parka up over her head and tied her scarf around her neck.

"Ugh, no thank you. I hate being cold," she grumbled. "Remember I grew up on Earth instead of Trill. . .and we lived in Michigan," She shivered just thinking about it. "We had this thing, 'lake effect snow' they called it. That was just a pretty little title for ugly big winters. We got a lot more snow than anybody else in the area. I hated it."

She pulled on a glove in disgust. "Only thing worse than being cold is being wet or in pain and I think wet is a done deal considering we're going out into a storm."

He observed the still-swollen side of her face, "The pain is already a foregone conclusion." She'd been through so much physically, recently, that he worried for her.

*It's nothing,* She thought to him as people crowded around them, hurrying to get ready to go before sundown. *considering all you've been through since the crash, especially,*

*Ah, me? Nevermind that. The hypo hasn't worn off yet and I had the doc make me up a spare,* Reece replied, patting the pocket of his coat. *I'll be fine. Just fine.*

His confidence was short lived, however and he inhaled sharply in the next instant as she zipped up his coat and her hand brushed against his tender, newly mended ribs.

"Sorry, sorry," she stepped back, and let him finish bundling himself up instead.

"I need to be sure all of my people are off of your ship before we leave, Commander Salvek," Maffe said, as she watched the Alchemy crew, who were all present and accounted for by this point save one errant Klingon, load up backpacks with as many supplies as they could carry with them. They had also replicated packs for Maffe and Vran and a half dozen others.

"There is a way that you can speak to them and if they are anywhere on the ship, they will hear you." Salvek indicated his badge. "After I touch this pin, you may speak and they will hear."

Salvek tapped his badge, and nervously, Maffe spoke toward his chest. "This is Andara Maffe. Leave all of the items that you have taken behind, here on the ship and regroup outside the breach, immediately. We are going home."

Salvek nodded his approval, and began handing her articles of clothing which Kellyn had replicated for her, after scanning her with a tricorder to get her measurements.

"I do not believe this," Maffe gasped in wonder as she took off her old, worn-out boots and saw how the new ones fit. "This truly is magic."

"We must hurry," Vran reminded Maffe as she put on a new pair of her own. "The sun is beginning to fall."

The crew of the Alchemy followed this pair of unlikely guides out through the tear in the ship's hull, and into a blinding snow squall. Somehow, Maffe managed to quickly account for all of her own people, despite the blowing snow.

"We must hold on to one another so we do not get separated," Maffe warned, indicating the coil of rope she had asked Salvek to replicate. "Tell your people, whatever they do, do not let go of this."

She took the lead, and they all fell into place behind her. The snow would come and go, and at times their journey, which in reality was not very far, seemed to stretch on forever as the sun disappeared on the horizon.

*This is one cold, mean planet. I used to date this planet!* Reece thought to February, as she struggled with both hands to hold on to the rope.

She laughed, and stumbled, losing her grip and falling flat onto her back into a drift. Reece hurried to help her up, ignoring the pain he was in, to be sure she didn't fall behind and lose her way.

*Come on, my angel in the snow,* he thought to her, *It's time to get back to the igloo.*

She grasped the rope again and trudged on *Thank you,* she thought. He could tell she was also thinking, once again, how much she hated being cold and soaked.

*Speaking of that divine term,* Reece thought, *Before we left the Indy, I saw Vedek Jariel refer to you by it. With his cute little flippy-wing sign for it."

*What?*

*He called you 'angel',* Reece elaborated, only half-joking as in an uncharacteristic display of jealousy he asked, *Should I be worried about Bible Man?*

He heard February's laughter echo in his head, as she blushed beneath her scarf.

*Down, boy," she replied, amused. *You know Zanh Liis would personally fillet anyone who looked at the Vedek sideways. No, we're just friends, always only just friends.*

*Then why does he call you that?*

*When we get home,* Grace promised, *I'll show you.*

They arrived at the entrance to the caves, and once they were all beneath the surface at last, Maffe held a torch high in her hand and indicated to Salvek where there were more nearby, waiting to be lit by hers. He lit them and handed them on down the line, signaling that it was all right now for the crew to let go of the guide rope.

"We're almost there, the hardest part of the journey is over," Maffe assured them all.

"And when we get there, we can expect to find our Klingon friend, unharmed?" Kellyn asked. Maffe had admitted that Lt. Commander Maak was being held for questioning by some of her people below before they'd started this journey.

"He may be hungry," Maffe assured her, "but no one will have done him harm."

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Lt. February Grace
Helm/Flight Controller
USS Independence/USS Alchemy